Synchronistic Musings
by Radiorox
Summary: Harm and Mac snipettes that don't fit any place else.  Just for fun and fluff.
1. Flamingos

**Synchronistic Musings**

Summary: Snipettes that don't fit any place else. Just for fun and fluff. _

**Flamingos**

Harm stood in the center of their bedroom staring at Mac as she smoothed the fitted sheet across the mattress. His hands came to his hips when he curiously noticed the little pink birds standing on one leg that adorned the otherwise stark white sheets. "Flamingos? _Seriously_?"

Mac raised her brow. "They're cute and my favorite bird." She tossed the matching comforter on the bed and motioned for Harm to help. The new bedding was needed once they purchased a king sized matress along with all of the furniture for there new home.

Just north of San Diego, situated right on the beach, the two bedroom, single family cottage with a wrap around porch was a wedding present from Trish and Frank. They had squabbled about the new furniting save for the bedroom which both agreed needed a big bed that faced the ocean.

"It's not _manly_, Mac... Hey!" He chastised as Mac threw one and then another pillow at his head.

Mac rolled her eyes. "It's bedding, fits in with the tropical theme. We have palm trees on the front lawn." She pointed out and then tossed him a pillow case.

"You _may_ have a point." Things like sheets, comforters and decorative pillows didn't matter to Harm until she'd asked for help. Now that he was shoving pillows into their designated cases, he was midly concerned at the pattern. "May I ask why the birds are riding blue bicycles?" He held up the pillowcase pointing at one of the pink birds that was, indeed, riding a blue bicle.

"How else are they gonna get around?" She winked and then threw herself on the fresly made bed. "They're facinating birds... No one quite knows why they stand on one leg and not all of them are that pink. It depends on species and diet."

"Oh, yeah? What else is interesting about them?" Harm lay down next to his wife, pulling her close so that he could kiss her neck.

Mac pretended his musings were doing nothing to her and began to rattle off the facts she knew. "A group of them is called a Flamboyance. They eat with there heads upside... uh down." She bit her lip as Harm's mouth moved over her collar bone and his fingers began popping the buttons on the shirt she wore. "Girl and boy flamingos have this little dance they do to attract a mate. Once they do, that bond is forever."

A dance to find their perfect mate. The concept reminded Harm of them and how much they metaphorically 'danced' around each other until they got things right - the perfect mate. It made him pause and raise his head to look at Mac. "Forever, huh?"

"Yep." She kissed him softly, deepening the kiss when Harm rolled on top of her. "Forever."

Her legs wrapped high around his waist and Harm took that as a sign of what she wanted. They were insatiable and he was sure too much would never be enough. "We'll mess up the sheets."

"Yeah. We will." She agreed, pulling his head down to kiss him again, much more passionately than before. "You can pick the new ones..."


	2. Sparring

**Sparring.**

"Ooof." Harm fell hard onto his back, the wind knocked right out of him when his body struck the padded mat. He should of minded that his sparring partner had the upper hand but, when Mac lowered herself down, straddling him high on his torso he happily remained on the ground.

"You keep telegraphing." She pointed out, coming up to her knees to not put pressure on his chest.

He merely snorted. "I. do. not."

"Harm, you walked into it each time, I can tell what side you'll attack from."

They had been sparring which had become an weekly part of their fitness routine ever since they'd become a couple. He glanced up from his vantage point, grinning at how sexy Mac look straddled on top of him. "Dunno, Colonel...Kinda liking the view from here."

Mac rolled her eyes. "You're thinking with the wrong head, Commander."

"Think so, huh?" His tone was teasingly seductive and before Mac could mount a defense, he shifted onto the side, putting just enough space between them to maneuver.

It took several moves, Mac had flattened herself over him and locked her heels under his thighs to prevent his escape. She squeezed her legs hard as one of her arms tried to lock his in a hold. "Tap out, Commander." She grunted, bending his arm in an unnatural angle.

Harm did tap and once Mac's thighs relaxed, one of his hands dropped to a certain spot on her hip. She yelped when his fingers danced over a particularly ticklish spot, an area just above the swell of her hip he'd discovered a few nights prior.

Without warning he was able to flip them over bringing her flat on her back while he hovered over. "You're cheating, squid. Tickling is not allowed."

"Trying different tactics." Harm lowered himself over her, keeping his weigh on his knees and elbows as his mouth sought her own. He kissed her slowly, deepening the kiss when her arms wrapped around him.


	3. First Date

It finally happened, Harm had asked her on a date, a real date not dinner with a colleague. An abnormal warm spring evening, Mac wore a midnight blue dress and Harm a black suit and tie.

He had taken her to a ridiculously expensive Italian restaurant that was so VIP, reservations were nearly impossible to get. They chatted about everything, laughed, enjoyed the company and if nothing else happened that evening, Mac would be content.

Harm suggested a stroll down the walkways of the national mall and the couple found themselves walking arm and arm until they stopped just off the side of the Lincoln Memorial. There was just something about the city at night and while not exactly the most romantic setting on Earth, it would be the spot of their first kiss.

Oh, they'd kissed before but, not like this, tender and reverent. Harm placed one hand on her cheek his eyes seeking for permission which came in the form of a smile from Mac. He bent his head down and kissed her slowly as if memorizing the shape of her mouth with his own.

"You don't have to go home right away, do you?" He asked nervously, not wanting to presume that more would happen that night. Harm did have an agenda, one that required a little more time with her.

Mac shook her head. "No. I have all the time in the World." She too was looking to spend as much time with him as possible.

Harm kissed her again, a quick peck on the lips and then motioned to a bench near by. Silently they sat, his arm draped over her and Mac's head resting on his shoulder. "Harm? What's wrong?" He had moved suddenly, reaching deep into the pocket of his trousers to extricate a small velvet pouch.

Mac stared at his hands curiously, how they shook as he undid the drawstrings. "Open your hand, Sarah." She closed her eyes when a warm, metallic thing dropped into her right hand. "I can be a jerk sometimes, I know and I'm probably going to fumble through this." Once her eyes opened, they fixated on the small circle in her palm, a white gold engagement ring tastefully set with one single diamond.

It wasn't gaudy just simple, perfect as only a man that really knew her could design. "Wear it on your right hand, left hand, your dog tags...Just please, wear it." Harm's voice was pleading, he didn't want to rush her given it had been less than a year since she almost married another man.

"Are you asking me to marry you, flyboy?" She teased closing her hand around the ring.

There was nothing cuter than a flustered Harmon Rabb Junior. "I ah... I don't you know...I don't wanna push you...If it's too soon, I get it but, keep the ring...I uh..."

She silenced his words with a kiss, one that was a little more passionate than before. "Yes." Mac said when they finally broke apart. She raised her palm to him, offering the ring which Harm took and slid onto the proper finger on the proper hand.


	4. Valentine's Day

Today was the day from hell... Took me 11 hours to get this done...and it's SUPER short... UGH!

Anyway, a little Valentine's Day fluff... This would be season 10 after 4% Solution when Mac is healed up after the crash.

**Valentine's Day.**

"Mmmm… right there." Mac purred as Harm's hands moved over her body, massaging the bundle of muscles that were tight between the juncture of her neck and shoulders. She was sitting on the floor, back against Harm's legs as he sat on her couch and those strong hands of his eased the ache that seemed to prevail since her accident in December. "I know tests came back negative but, since the wreck, that spot always hurts."

He replaced his hands with his lips, kissing a spot he found would make her moan each and every time. "You just want me to touch you." He whispered in her ear in a sexy, gravily tone that made her stomach do flip flops. Carefully, he dropped down to the floor behind her, his arms coming tightly around Mac's middle as she turned her head for her lips to meet his.

They kissed slowly, passionately and as her hand was about to guide his to where she needed him, Harm suddenly pulled away. "Hey! Get back here!" She protested as he rushed out of the living room and to her bedroom. "Harm?"

"Give me a sec, I have something I want to give you."

She pulled herself up onto the sofa, tossing her head back on the cushions as she heaved a heavy sigh. "We agreed to not exchange gifts." It was Valentine's Day, a cliche that she was never really keen on celebrating even when she was with someone. Too commercialized and frankly, it was a little too sappy given her disastrous love life. Then again, things began to look up on Christmas Day when Harm had brought her back to her apartment and kissed her.

She hadn't expected him to although he was hovering as she painfully moved around her apartment. It was when Mac headed to the kitchen for a second mug of hot cocoa that he appeared behind her and then trapped her against the kitchen cabinet, his hands on either side of hers. 'I love you.' He said and then leaned in and carefully brushed his lips over hers.

And that was all it took, three simple words and the softest of kisses for them to finally be together although making love with him would have to wait another few weeks until she felt fully healed for physical activity. That in and out of itself was, in a word, exquisite, if not a little rough in urgency to consummate their relationship. She thought about that evening and couldn't help but grin mischievously; her flyboy may have acted like a prude in the past but, in bed was anything but.

"I ah… hope you like it." He said, upon his return as he settled on the sofa next to her. His eyes cautiously studied Mac as he deposited a small grey pouch with no discernable markings onto the palm of her hand.

Mac stared at the pouch and then looked up at him, smiling softly. "Harm, I love you, more than you can imagine...I don't need gifts to know that you care for me."

"I can take it back…" He went to snatch the pouch away only for Mac to close her fist tightly around it. "Or not."

Excitedly, she pulled apart the tiny drawstrings, opened the pouch and tipped it so that a single, white gold engagement ring spilled out. Mac stared at it dumbly, her breath catching as the simple diamond shone in the light emanating from her balcony doors. It was simple and elegant, classy not ostentatious or gaudy and her eyes watered with unshed tears. "What is this?"

"A ring." Harm stated simply and he hoped she couldn't hear how hard his heart was beating. He was nervous and reasonably so, a night trap in heavy seas would have been an easier approach. "It comes with a promise to love, honor, obey...sometimes obey." He said with a sheepish grin. "I know I'm not perfect but…"

"Yes." Mac said and a tear spilled from one eye as everything she ever wanted was finally within reach.

"...I do love you and…"

"Yes." She said again and wiped the tear as she watched him ramble on.

"And… I think we can make this work…"

"Yes."

"If it's too soon, we can wait but…" She'd taken his face in her hands, her thumbs softly moving over his cheeks which were burning a bright red. "Mac?"

A flustered Harmon Rabb, Jr. was seriously the sweetest thing she'd seen especially when it came to her. In the last few years he had changed, grown up some although she rather liked his Peter Pan complex as well. She was still learning to accept certain aspects of him, to trust that he wouldn't just break her heart but, he was trusting her with the same thing. "I said, yes." She handed the ring to him and extended the ring finger so that he could slide it home. The diamond seemed to shine even more as it contrasted with her olive colored skin, the fit was perfect. "It's beautiful."

"So are you." He kissed her then, deep and passionately until it began to take a life of its own as most of their kisses often did. Harm felt her tongue move over the crease of his lips and then push in to dance with his own as Mac's fingers began to work on the buttons of his shirt. She slipped it off his shoulders letting it fall to the side and then ran her fingers along the chain of the dogtags he still wore. She hooked her fingers on the end and leaned back on the sofa, tugging him towards her as she went until Harm was settled between her thighs. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sarah."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Harm."


	5. Sunburnt

**Sunburnt**

"Owww. Oww...owww..." I carefully crawl into bed, my skin protesting every move and motion as I settle onto my back and stare the ceiling. The airconditioner is on its lowest setting and even Mac's ceiling fan is swirling above but, nothing seems to cool down my body which is lobster red.

I slowly turn my head to glance at my girlfriend noting that her skin shares a similar hue as my own as we both lay half naked on her bed. We both smell from the liberal amount of aloe coating our sunburnt skin. "Don't say it." Mac warns but, I can't let her off hook.

"Sex on the beach was _your_ idea." There, I finally say outloud what I had been thinking during the uncomfortable and arduous trip that led us back home.

Christmas on a beach in Jamaica had been _her_ idea as a way to get out of the frigid Washington weather. Mac found a hotel that boasted cabins with their own little private beach - the ultimate couple's getaway. I quickly agreed imagining spending a week with her wearing a bikini or less.

It had been _her_ idea to have sex on our little private beach atop a large, bed-like lounger. When they said Marines storm the beach - Sarah Mackenzie definitely led the charge. Making love in the open was sexy, fun and hot enough to have us both exhausted enough to fall asleep in the mid day sun.

It's funny how you don't realize how badly you're sunburnt until you take a shower or, in our case, try to make love in the shower.

"You didn't say no." She states with a teasing voice as her hand slides over and takes mine.

"You seduced me!"

Mac chuckles and squeezes my hand. "Can't seduce the willing and boy, were you eager. I thought we were gonna break that bed."

"I'm a tad insatiable around you." Lord, I want to kiss her but I am pretty sure her lips are as burnt as mine are. "Chegwidden had a laugh at our expense." I had called to inform him that Mac and me were missing work, the thought of trying to put a uniform on sounding painful.

That inadadverdely shifted the conversation to me and Mac, the relationship we'd secretly been carrying on for months. "How'd he take the news?"

"Before or after he asked if he needed to send a chaperone to the law library?" Oh, if he only knew how many times we'd kissed there. "And then he started laughing."

"Glad someone finds this funny." She huffs out and then starts laughing herself and I can't help but join in. "Okay, its pretty damned funny."

"Next time, I pick our romantic getaway."

"Deal." Mac doesn't object only agrees and squeezes our joined hands. Maybe being sunburnt isn't the worst thing?


	6. Rain

**Rain**

Harm hated shopping and only did so out if sheer necessity which was why he begrudgedly headed out to Georgetown to pick up a few things. First was a stop to pick up his bomber jacket that he'd left with a seamstress in order to fix his name tag which had unraveled.

He would have missed Mac completely had she been walking to the opposite corner, had he been five minutes too early or too late. As it was he almost didn't recognize her without the Marine uniform although he'd seen her in civvies before.

Mac's face was rosy from a recent facial treatment. Her hair, that had lengthened somewhat was held back by her sunglasses. She had on mid-rise blue jeans that seemed painted on by rhe way they hugged her hips. The top was a simple white cotton t-shirt with a swoop neck and 'USMC' in big black letters in the front.

She seemed happy and carefree, devoid of that Marine stoicism Mac hid behind. And when she noticed him, her smile widened and she quickened her pace to meet him. "Fancy seeing you here, Commander."

Harm shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Hello Major, needed to do a few things in this part of town."

"You hungry? There's a sandwhich shop down the block that I frequent. May even have a salad with your name on it." When he hesitated for a moment, Mac's smile began to disappear. "If you're busy..."

Harm was struck with the vision of her leaving and another man taking his place. "No! No, not busy. Let me just drop these bags in my car."

They met at the small restaurant, squeezing into a small table at the back where they mutually agreed to not speak about work. The early diner was pleasant followed by a stop at the ice cream parlor next door.

Mac had left him dumbstruck, unknowingly licking the spoon and making his attraction for her burn even more. Harm resisted the urge to kiss her but, something changed when they stepped outside.

It was raining. Hard. One of those quick, torrential summer rains that came and went without warning. It had even cleared the busy streets. "Mac...what are you doing?"

She stepped away from the awning that stretched across the storefront and into the pouring rain. Mac was soaked in seconds, not that she seemed to mind as she tilted her head back up to the skies.

Mesmerized, Harm could only look on, thanking whatever diety arranged their impromptu meeting. Her white shirt was now clinging like a second skin, plastering on her chest to reveal the swell of her breasts.

The desire to kiss her manifested yet again, stronger than ever, beckoning him to her. And so he stepped onto the side walk, wrapped one arm around her torso and pulled Mac to him.

When their lips met it was like a live wire; electrically charged. Harm half expected Mac to pull away but, her own arms came around his neck, allowing the kiss to deepen. Their tongues met and dueled, danced together until the need for air pulled them apart.

"I've wanted to do that since we came back from Russia." He admitted. Actually, he'd been wanting to do that since the first time they kissed in Norfolk.

"Do it again." She requested and, thankfully, Harm complied.


	7. Guitar

**Guitar**

Mac lay on the sofa with her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. One thing she never expected from moving in with Harm were the serenades.

The man was damned good with a guitar and often used it as a way to unwind playing different tunes both familiar and invented ones. Harm could sing too but, what she enjoyed the most was hearing him just play. His fingers would move over the strings with precision, sometimes making a squeaking sound when his fingers slid over the fret board.

She sighed happily and just listened letting the music take her away from the tumultuous day she had at work. When he suddenly stopped, Mac propped her head up to find Harm watching her with interest. "Something wrong?"

Harm grinned. It was that sexy, self satisfying egotistical fly boy grin. "Nothing wrong. You seemed very relaxed. It's cute."

"Cute?"

"Yeah, cute." He played a few more notes, specifically the start of some Zeppelin's tune that she was familiar with. "You still wanna learn to play guitar?"

Mac shook her head. "Nah, I prefer to listen to you play it."

"I prefer what happens after I play it." Harm put the guitar aside and then moved over Mac, his body covering hers as they kissed. She moaned his name once a hand had snuck under her shirt to find the clasp of her bra.


	8. Normal

*This is OLD I bumped into it looking for old stories.*

**Normal**

It should have been a normal day with a normal case load, but it wasn't. Normally, by this time of the day Harm and Mac would have had a normal lunch, at a normal time and normally talked about Mattie's teenaged antics. It was normal for Harm to hold his tongue when he really wanted to ask Mac about Webb, and why they broke up. Normally, they wouldn't be having lunch at nearly 4pm with the promise of not leaving JAG ops until the wee hours of the morning. Normally, they would be on their way home, wanting to spend more time together, but it wasn't normal for a woman to spend so much time with a man that wasn't her boyfriend. But, it wasn't a normal day, so Harm decided to ask a question that he normally would have avoided. A question that effectively changed any normalcy and took Mac totally by surprise.

"How many times have we kissed, Mac?" He asked, out of the blue before stuffing his mouth full of noodles.

Mac sat at her desk, and Harm was across from her. She was taken completely off guard. "I ah. . .Well. . . Is this a trick question?" She countered, trying to deter him, but it didn't work.

After swallowing a bite, following it with a drink of soda, Harm continued with a sheepish grin. "There was that one time when you almost kissed me."

"Almost?" Mac raised an eyebrow, she really didn't know where he was gong with this.

Harm nodded. "Yea, almost. . . that time when we were in Columbia. Remember you said my dress whites were overrated." Smirking, he watched the expression on her face soften.

Mac grinned and pointed her chopsticks at Harm. "You know, I lied. . . you do look very good in dress whites and gold wings."

Harm offered a grin of his own and chuckled. "Well, I knew that." He ate some more noodles and continued. "Then there was that time at the docks." He sighed, and his voice became low, almost hushed.

Noticing immediately, Mac nodded and repeated the same sentence she had told him then, when he kissed goodbye, one of the ghosts of his past. "You were kissing her." She watched as he sat for a moment, un moving, with a faraway look in his eyes. Those sea-green eyes soon met her own and a smile replaced his frown.

"You know, I've thought about that night a lot and, yea I was kissing her goodbye, and yet I wasn't. Kissing you was different, Mac."

"Different how?"

Harm shrugged. "Nicer, sweeter, maybe?" He watched her mouth form an "o" before he broke the silence. "Okay, so there was that time on the sub, when I gave you mouth to mouth."

After taking a drink of water, Mac shook her head. "Nope, that doesn't count."

"Why not?" He whined.

Chuckling, Mac continued. "Because. . . I was unconscious, I wasn't kissing you back."

"But there was lip to lip action." He said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Mac let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Doesn't count. . . how about Australia. . ." She knew that she stuck her foot in her mouth, so she decided to proceed carefully. "We might have kissed if things went. . . differently."

This time it was Harm's turn to disagree. "Now that, really doesn't count."

"Why not?" She whined, using the same tone he'd given her earlier.

Harm let out a sigh. "What ifs don't count."

"Okay." Mac thought for a moment and grinned. "Christmas." Before he would object to anything she added. "I know, it's a standard Christmas, mistletoe kiss, but it was a kiss nevertheless."

"A nice kiss." He said with a smile, remembering that grin that she gave him once they were under the mistletoe. "You made sure I was under there didn't you?"

Mac began blushing just a little. Grabbing some water in her hand, she sprinkled him and chuckled. "Had to seize the moment."

"Uh huh." Harm said with a knowing smile. What she didn't know was that she beat him to the punch and that night he had a similar idea.

They finished their meals in a comfortable silence before Harm leaned back in the guest chair and stretched. "Paraguay." He said, looking directly at her.

"Paraguay?" She repeated, wondering where he was going with this.

Harm grinned and moved to the edge of the chair. "We would have kissed. . .I know it and you know it."

"I. . I thought we weren't talking about what ifs." She countered, trying, yet again, to diffuse the conversation. Grinning, Mac leaned towards her desk and whispered, "Though, I wanted to kill Webb for walking in at that precise moment." Chuckling, she leaned back and smirked. "After I knew he was okay, that is."

Harm chuckled as well. "I thought I was the only one thinking that." At the shake of her head, his chuckling turned into laughter. "We're bad."

They stared at each other again in silence and Mac looked away when she said. "My engagement party." When she looked towards Harm she saw that wistful look in his eyes, one that probably matched the same look in her eyes.

Harm smiled. "That kiss was. . ."

"Incredible. . ." She finished for him.

"Incredible?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mac nodded, her voice turning low, huskier. "And exhilarating."

"Exhilarating?" As her adjectives continued, Harm felt a rush go through him.

Her eyes met his, with such a look of desire that he felt himself drown as she said, "Insatiable."

Harm let out the breath he was holding. "Why insatiable?"

"Because, it left me wanting more." She stared him down, daring him to do something about it.

Harm decided to join in the game that he was losing control over. "Do you still want more, Mac?"

"Do you?" She asked, her voice still low and husky.

Harm grinned, and leaned into the chair. "I asked first."

Mac licked her lips and added in a voice near a whisper. "Yes."

"Dare me, Sarah." He said, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

It was then that Mac stood, went around her desk and towards her door. She drew the blinds, locked them in and turned around to find Harm standing directly behind her. "Kiss me, Harm." And he did just that.

Harm wrapped his arms around her and kissed Mac with all of the feeling and emotion that had been building through the years. He sought entrance to her mouth and was granted access. He searched the inside of her mouth, memorizing everything just in case he never had the chance to kiss her again. Mac, in turn, did the same and brought her tongue against his, teasing him to continue. It was nearly a minute later, before they both backed away, breathless and needy. "I think we should continue this somewhere else." Harm said, with his arms still around her.

"I'll get my things." Mac said, giving him another kiss as she broke away from his hold and walked to her desk.

0350 Zulu

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

"One hundred and eighty five." Pause. "One hundred and eighty six." Pause. "One hundred and eighty seven." Mac giggled as Harm counted each kiss that he placed on her lips.

She wrapped her arms around him and marveled in the feeling of his naked flesh against her own. "Mmm. . . I love you." She said unconsciously and immediately hoped that he hadn't heard that. Though they had finally made love, it didn't mean that the relationship had graduated to the whole 'I love you' sector.

Harm watched her grimace and just grinned at her. Did she really think he didn't feel the same way? "Sarah." He said, and waited for her eyes to meet his before adding. "I love you."

Mac nearly squealed in delight as she hugged him hard against her. "I'm sorry. . I'm sorry for . . ."

Harm stopped her with a kiss and smiled. "You talk too much. . . and that was one hundred and eighty eight." Mac giggled again, as he started counting.

She let him reach two hundred before telling him with an breathy voice. "Harm, just shut up and kiss me."

Nope, today, definitely wasn't a normal day. Because, a normal day would mean that Mac would normally be home alone, wondering why she broke up with spookboy. Even if he wasn't around, having a boyfriend was better than having non at all. Harm would normally be home alone, as on Friday nights, Mattie and Jen would go to the movies. Normally, Harm and Mac would be dreaming of each other but not daring to make a move. Normally, the unresolved sexual tension would continue to drown them. Normally, they would chose a safer path by ignoring the intimate feelings. But, today wasn't a normal day. But, what fun is normal anyway?


	9. Warmth

Warmth

Mac was freezing. Absolutely, possitively freezing to the point that even the bedsheets made her cold. a bad snowstorm had heHarm holded up in a hotell Just outside of Virginia. Unfortunately, the heavy snow had knocked out the power. and with it the heating unit making her room practically an icebox.

They were staying in separate rooms a dividing door between them and, in the still of the night Mac stared at the door. Neither of rhem ever kept it locked. Never had, even when they recently met and began their partnership, the door was unlocked although neither of them opened without warning.

When she couldn't take shivering any longer, maxed it up bundled herself in the blankets and headed towards the door.

Harm was cold as well, tossing and turning to find a warmer spot to sleep it. He wasn't shivering, not yer but could feel his feet go numb. He'd even gotten up to put socks on. "Harm?" He heard her voice. Speaking softly his name. And in the darkness of the room, he noticed a figure. moving towards him.

"Mac? You okay?"

"I'm freezing. Powers out, no heater...I can't stop shivering." She paused hoping he would get the meaning in her words, the subtle hint of what she needed. When he didn't say anything, she offered a suggestion. "I was thinking about the mountains...the dessert, we kept each other warm?"

"Body heat?" He perked up at the idea, cuddling up in bed with Mac did not sound half bad. In fact, he loved the idea.

"Yeah." He could hear her teeth clattering. "Please."

Harm pulled the blankets off of him, suddenly noticing just how cold the room had become. "C'mon, Marine." He patted the bed chuckling as she rushed to his side, unraveled her blanket and placing it above the two of them.

"Dont laugh." She snuggled close to his body startled when she heard Harm hiss. "You okay?"

"Christ, Mac...you're an icecicle." Without question he pulled her closer and then made sure that the blankets were secure. His hands then began rapidly running over her body, using friction until she stopped shivering. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." Involuntarily, she took a deep breath; smelling the scent of him: a combination of Harm, aftershave and cologne. It was a clean scent, manly. God the man smelled _so_ good. It forced her to snuggle closer, her nose and mouth nuzzling his neck when she settled her head on his shoulder.

"Uh, Mac?"

"Sorry...you umm...well, you smell _good_."

She did too, like that shampoo with a hint of that perfume he'd gifted her for Christmas. "Heh. Uh, thanks."

They lay together for several long minutes, Mac finally begining to drift to sleep whrn he said her name. "Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"I like this..."

"Being cold?"

Harm rolled his eyes. As often as he was clueless about them, Mac could be equally so. "_No_...you...me..._this_." To make his point, he squeezed her tightly and then let go. "I can get used to this..."

"We don't need a snowstorm for it."

No, they didn't, he knew but, they hadn't been _this_ close in forever...not since Afghanistan and that was far too long ago and ruined by a bombing run. "We've been dancing around _this_..._us_...for a while now..."

"Is there an _us_? You've mentioned it twice now."

Harm sighed, why was it so hard for him to say tye words. "Yeah. I think there could be...and I'm _not_ talking about being friends...I...well...I uh..."

"You love me." She said the words for him, letting Harm off the hook and swore he stopped breathing for a moment. "I love you, too."

"You do?" He had the audacity to seem surprised. "How long?"

"Since we met...kinda fell for you a little...kept falling a little more and more...I just...you didn't seem interested."

"That's not..." He stopped himself from arguing as memories collided, all the times he'd pushed aside his feelings for selfish reasons. "I'm sorry, Mac... I don't think I realized my feelings for you until I almost lost you."

"Same, Flyboy and I don't want to feel that again."

His arms tightened around her, his head turned just enough so that Harm's lips brushed hers. The kiss was sweet, gentle, loving. He would have rolled them over, covered her body with his and ravaged her senseless if they weren't both so cold. Plus, he wanted the lights on, to see all of her. He broke the kiss only to confirm the words he couldn't say before. "I love you, Sarah."


	10. Restless

Mac could tell when Harm was restless. It didn't happen too much. Usually, when it was time to sleep he would conk out relatively quickly, his soft breaths lulling her to sleep as well.

Tonight though he'd been all over the bed. It began with him spooning against her and then he rolled away, fighting with the covers that were either too hot or too cold. He'd laid on his back, then one side and another unable to find comfort from his thoughts. Harm just couldn't power down.

At 3am, Mac decided to question him. "Harm? Whst's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Try again. You've tossed and turned for five hours and six minutes." Tentatively she reached out placing a hand flat on his bare back. "Talk to me, fly boy."

With a heavy sigh, he turned to her in the darkness. "We're good right? This between us has been working out?" He seemed insecure ans Mac couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"It's been _really _good...great...beyond any expectations I could ever have... even when we argue..."

"Especially when we argue." Harm decided, grinning mischievously as he recalled the activities rhat would occur _after_ their arguments: make up sex. The last time was two days ago and it had been passionate, rough, wild until any resentment and anger subsided. That dynamic was odd to him, the fact that making love was another form of conversation. Even in its most primal, they fixed many disagreements in the bedroom.

He figured it had to so something with being naked both figuratively and literally. And it worked for them. But, his restlessness was something totally different that would likely land another argument which he didn't want to have.

"Harm. You're worrying me." This week in particular he just seemed _off. _ Despite assurances that he loved her, always would, Mac would always be insecure, it was a product of her childhood and something they both had in common: fear of losing one another again.

"Marry me." The words cake out before he could stop himself and immediately. he cringed. This wasn't the way to propose, the last time he'd done so in haste had been disastrous and broke them apart for nine long and lonely years.

He was determined to make good on his promise this time to make Mac his wife and fix the problems of the past. When she didn't say a word, his heart sank. "It's too soon, isn't it?" They'd only gotten back together for the last two months. He was now stationed out of San Diego with the promise of one last tour before coming home for good. Mac's liasson offered her a chance to work out of Coronado.

While they weren't living together she spent most of the time in his apartment anyway.

"I thought you didn't want that anymore. That _this_ was enough."

"No, Sarah. I said what I thought you needed to hear in order to be with you." He shifted close to her, pulling her body flush against his needing that contact. "Truth is, I want to marry you. I never kept that promise... We need to fix that, if you'll have me."

"Yes...It's all I ever wanted."

His lips descended on hers sealing his promise with a kiss.


	11. Kiss

**Kiss**

I'm dreaming. I _know_ I'm dreaming because that's the only time he ever kisses me.

He's kissed me in real life as well, several oddly timed smooches like my engagement party that...no, I will not dwell on that. I told myself I would stop thinking about that night and the combination of pain and pleasure when tasting forbidden fruit.

This time though it feels real, his arms that snaked around my body. His soft lips which danced tenderly over my own then added a little more pressure. I open my mouth to his and the jolt that passes through me makes even my toes tingle when his tongue touches the tip of mine.

Good God the man can kiss!

A moan escapes the back of my throat and somehow he manages to turn us both around, close my door and pin me against it. A willing captive, I surrender to the feel of his mouth on me moving from my lips downwards to the side of my neck. His teeth scrape over the sensitive skin eliciting another involuntary moan from me.

I'm grabbing onto his shoulders to remain upright, fingertips digging into the muscles while his mouth continues its assault on me.

"Sarah." It's the first thing he says since arriving at my doorstep and I find an ache settle between my thighs at the sound of his voice. Silk and gravel all at once, lustful. "Oh God, Sarah. I want you." He says before claiming my lips once again with his.

I'm left breathless from his teasing temptation and its when his hand slips under my sweater that I reach the conclusion that this is real. The shock has me pushing against his chest, trying to wedge a little space between myself and the hot, hard body that's trapping mine.

"Mac?" He seems confused but then, so am I because I know him too damned well. Any moment he'll snap out of this trance and backpedal himself out if my life. We've made too much headway this past year for me to lose him again.

"We need to stop." I hear myself say in a feeble attempt to deny the inevitable.

"What? Why?"

Great, now he's looking at me as if I've lost my mind. "You don't want this. Not really." He's had many chances, the same as I have to push this into something much more intimate. With each failure, each miscommunication I decided having him as a friend was better than nothing.

"I think I know what I want." But, he doesn't pull away. The hand that was under my sweater slips out and his warm palm presses against my cheek. He's staring at me...lovingly? God, how can that be...why now? My want to push him away again stops and the hands on his chest drop away to encircle his waist. Damnit, he feels so good, smells so good and I'm drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

And then we're kissing again, slow and passionate like our mouths are making love. He pulls me up, urges my legs to wrap around his waist and then he's moving across the apartment to the open door of my bedroom.

I've never been loved like that. Like every sinew of my body was attuned to his as we made love. Hard, passionate, sweet, tender, we checked off all of the boxes and perhaps defined a few of our own.

Hours later we lay amongst tangled sheets, on a mattress that is slightly askew due to my, now broken, bedframe. (Yeah, it was _that_ good.) I raise my head off his shoulder and turn to the side in order to see into my flyboy's sea green eyes. "What got into you?"

"Huh?" His eyes are heavy, nearly drifting shut and I giggle when they pop open with interest when my hand casually travels down his body.

"This. Us. Why now?"

I yelp as he suddenly rolls us over, pinning me beneath him and effectively breaking what was left of the bed frame. It slams onto the floor and leaves us both laughing at our predicament. Seconds later, he kissed me again, only stopping for a moment. The simplicity of his explination touches something inside of me. "I woke up wanting to kiss you."


	12. Ogling

**Ogling**

"I'm a little warm. Gonna take a dip to cool off." Mac declared and then pressed a smacking kiss on Harm's lips before raising herself out of the lounger and heading to the water.

At once he pulled his sunglasses down to the tip of his nose offering him an untinted view of his wife. Mac always carried herself gracefully, like a dancer. Her long shapley legs, the movement of her six beneath the scrap of green fabric that modestly covered her.

The bikini was not one of her most sexiest, he decided. It covered a little too much and didn't have the drawstrings on her hips that he loved to pull away. Still, she was a vision and he was the luckiest man alive.

Harm sat up a bit, his eyes were still glued to Mac when she got to the waters edge and stopped to check the temperature. How did the lyrics go? "Hate to see you go but, I _love_ to watch you walk away."

"Harmon!" He jumped at his mother's admonishing tone quickly sliding his sunglasses back into place and settling down. "Would you stop ogling Sarah?"

"I was _not_ ogling!"

Trish snorted. "You're even drooling, sweetheart."

"Am not!" He wasn't but, still raised his hand to his mouth to check. Harm felt like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "_Mom!_"

"You would think you just met." She grinned when he didn't catch her teasing tone and folded his arms across his chest like a petulant child. Trish swore he was even pouting.

"Look, can you blame me?" He motioned towards Mac who was now walking back towards them completely wet. He hair was slicked back, droplets of water clung to her skin. She was every Bond Girl fantasy come to life and she was _his._

"Mac is very beautiful and I was kidding." She smiled, the pair made a very good looking couple. Appearances aside, she knew Mac was the perfect match for her son. She glanced over at Harm and swatted him on the arm. "Go to you wife, she wants you to join her."

He sat up and looked at Mac who had stopped at the waters edge and turned to him with a smile. "Nah, she would have asked me to."

Trish sighed and rolled her eyes. "Harm, if you stopped ogling her a.. ummm... backside...you'd have noticed when she glanced behind her shoulder to look at you...she did it again at the edge of the water..._Go_ to your wife, _now."_

He stared at his wife for a moment finally seeing what his mother was telling him. Indeed, he was a very lucky man. "Aye, aye, ma'am." Harm kissed his mother on the cheek. "Thanks mom." He tossed his sunglasses and raced down the sand to Mac. Immediately, her smile widened.

The sound of her squeal and their combined laughter echoed up the beach when Harm picked her up and carried her into the water.

"The kids needed a little help from the older generation again?" Frank asked as he'd quietly overheard his wife and son's interaction.

"A mother's job is never done." Trish grinned and gave her husband a peck on the lips.


	13. Axed

**Axed**

Mac studiously watched Harm as his hands wrapped around the handle of the axe he was about to swing. He handled the weapon, eyed the target and heaved it onto the chopping block in front. The movement raised up the simple black shirt he wore exposing his midriff just above wear worn blue jeans.

It was innocent really just a little show of skin, but it had her licking her lips. And deciding that he certainly was the most gorgeous man on the planet. And he was all hers. She sighed contentedly.

Harm pulled the axe from the wood block and then turned with a satisfied grin. He hadn't hit the bullseye but came pretty damned close. "Your turn, Marine."

He was always finding fun things to do for date night and for two adrenaline junkies the idea of slinging sharp metal at a target was right up their alley.

Mac took the axe from her husband and carefully gauged the weight of the weapon. Her hands moved low on the handle, wrapping one over the other. She furled her brow, stuck her tongue out and focused on the red circle at the center. Her hands came up over her head and in a swift motion, she let the axe sail through the air. "Bullseye!"

"What?" She heard Harm groan and then rush to the wooded board where the axe was wedged. Mac held back a snicker at his obvious disdain specifically when he turned to face her. "Why are you good at everything?" He unwedged the axe and hurried back to the throw line in order to seek redemption.

"What? I'm not good at everything."

He swung the axe again groaning when it landed farther away from the bullseye. "We went shooting two weeks ago and you kicked my ass."

Mac took the axe from him and swung again, effortlessly hitting the bullseye. "With the pistol, sure. But, you kicked serious ass with the rifle."

"When we did our little sparring on Wednesday at the gym you had me on my back three times."

"Oh, give me a break, Harm. You were taking it easy on me."

Yes, he could beat her at a fight but, jiu jitsu was technical, like a game of chess. There were specific movements, ways of blocking and countering created for a smaller, weaker opponent to overtake a larger, stronger one. Not that he minded her being on top. The visual of Mac all sweaty wearing those skin tight shorts made blood rush to his nether regions. "No, not really. You countered every movement. Winded me if I remembered correctly."

Mac chuckled. She did indeed wind him and then made up for it with a sexy outfit she'd bought for a different occasion.

"You're good at pretty much everything." He was practically pouting.

Lord her Flybly could sometimes err on the side of dramatics. "You're the better cook. You're the one that can fly and that's pretty damn impressive."

All the knobs, switches and handles that he had to touch to get an F-14 up in the air. It just truly amazed her. Plus the amount of studying, the physics, the hours logged in the cockpit. The carrier landings that awed her. "You know so much about cars. Hell, you changed the breaks on my Vette. And all of that history stuff."

Harm shrugged. "I'm sure if I showed you how to fly my plane you'd be good at that too."

"Yeah right."

"And there's another thing that you're particularly good at." Harm stepped close to his wife wrapping his arms around her waist to bring her closer.

"Harm…"

"Kissing." He grinned and then dipped his head down to press his lips against hers giving Mac a slow, passionate kiss.


	14. Saturday

Mac would be hard pressed to find a better day of the week than good ol' Saturday. There were many reasons to love it but, none more than the lazy kind when she woke, mid-morning, in a certain sailor's arms.

She was happy. Deliriously, wonderfully, extatically happy. They were married, had been for fifteen crazy years and she still loved as much today as ever.

Military discipline usually had them waking earlier - Saturday mornings they would go for a run and after a shower and breakfast, they would sometimes go back to bed. Today had been a little different as she'd woken up to Harm's lips pressing soft kisses down her spine.

His fingers brought her body to life and they made that slow, languorous type of love reserved for a lazy Saturday. And he'd knocked that damned internal clock of hers out of whack as slow lovemaking turned a little more passionate.

Mac sighed happily, only mildly annoyed that she needed to raise her head from his chest to peak at the digital alarm clock on their bed side table.

_9:45_.

The arm wrapped around her tightened, his soft breathing changed and Mac felt Harm stretch beneath her. "Hmmm...Morning beautiful."

His voice was rough from sleep, low and sexy and Mac found it still gave her butterflies in the stomach to hear him call her that. "Good morning, handsome."

Harm turned so that they were laying side by side and snuggled into her. His lips met hers in a slow, deep kiss that would have progressed to something more had _his_ stomach not grumbled loudly.

"Guess you worked up an appetite this morning." She teased, resting her forehead against his.

"Yeah well, woke up with this sexy Marine in my bed, needed to show her how well Navy equipment worked...It got a _bit_ heated."

"Mmm...well." She pulled out of his embrace, crawled out of bed and slipped on that silk kimono he'd bought her.

"Where you going?"

"To make breakfast. I need to make sure you've got your strength up."

"Oh yeah?" He was grinning, that sexy fly boy grin that _still_ affected her no matter how much Mac tried to deny it. She was out the door and halfway to the kitchen when Mac returned with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"By the way, it's raining. Doesn't look like it'll clear up anytime soon."

Before she could leave again, Harm was quick to move, grabbing Mac by the waist and pulling her back into bed. He uncinched the kimono so that his hands could roam over her body. "I love rainy Saturdays." He declared between kisses.

"Mmm, me too...It's perfect weather for making love." She gasped when his fingers did their magic on her and before long his body was joined with hers.

Yes, Mac most definitely loved Saturday.


	15. Fitted Sheets

Fitted Sheets

I hate fitted sheets. Rather, I hate folding the damned things. I have a system and it's a unique one where I sorta roll the cloth and shove it into the linen closet.

My system worked until a certain sailor came into my life.

The jerk knows how to fold them, really fold them. Tucking here, folding there until he makes a nice and neat little envelope that fits perfectly on a shelf. He claims it was from a summer working at a BB in La Jolla and I glare at him when Harm tries to teach me.

"Why do you need so many?" He asked once, exasperated at my growing collection of colours, patterns and materials.

It was good that I had so many as, and let's face it, sex between us could get messy. We are a little insatiable with each other and after a night where he wound up on our wet spot, Harm bought some extra sheets for his bed.

And then there is that wonderfully, luxurious feeling of showering and sleeping into fresh sheets. It is one of life's simple pleasures: clean skin and clean sheets.

Why is it that watching him fold my sheets seemed so sexy? He has this look of absolute concentration and I wonder if he has that same intensity when flying a plane. The thought makes me giggle and before long Harm declares he is done. "There, anything else?"

I break from my reverie to find him digging through the basket of clean clothes to find my underwear. It's a sexy pair of red lace and he raises the cloth to show me with his brow hitching in question. "I've never seen these."

"No, you haven't"

"Well, why not?" He pouts and looks so damned cute doing so.

I shrug. "No real reason… Aren't we passed the lingerie phase?"

Harm doesn't look pleased as he stands there with his hands on his hip and absomutely echaspeeated. "No Mac, we are not past the lingerie phase."

"It's just sort of...impractical." Especially considering how fast he gets me out of them. "And expensive." One particular set was just over a hundred bucks.

"And a turn on...Hell, Mac just said the word and I'll max out my credit cards to get you all the lingerie you could want." He smiles sweetly at me and I have to laugh. The man is so adorable sometimes.


	16. Fort

**Fort**

"You've never built a fort?"

Mac's standing in the center of her living room, hands on her hips. She seems almost exasperated when I shake my head and answer with a definitive "No."

This conversation comes about when our godchild informs my feisty Marine that *I* do not know how to make a fort. "I had a decent childhood but, I don't know. I think dad's MIA forced me to grow up too soon and miss the little things like fort building." I shrug, it really isn't that big of a deal although it seems to be for her.

In a flash Mac disappears into her room and returns with an armful of sheets. "We're fixing that today." For a solid half hour she rearranges the living room furniture tossing sheets after sheets to and fro. She even uses a dining room chair to raise the material so that the middle looks like the mast of a circus big top.

Binder clips, hair ties and any other binding apparatus she could find holds the half dozen sheers strung across the room and I watch equally fascinated and embarrassed. Once done she stands outside, sliding her work and nodding with a satisfied grin.

Again she disappears into her bedroom and comes back with two comforters and our pillows stacked up so high it's a wonder she didn't trip or kill herself in a tangle of sheets. "Mac?"

"Shhh, not done yet." She states plopping her burden outside a little opening only for her to disappear inside.

The "fort" rustles above her and all I see from my vantage point is her arm extending out to reach the comforters and pillows. It's honestly fascinating. "Okay, go kill the lights and come inside." She declares and I do as told. Sometimes you just don't argue with a Marine.

The only thing left to illuminate Mac's fort is the light from the fireplace. When I crawl inside I find her laying on her side amidst the bed she made from pillows and comforters. "So this is what you do when you play fort, Marine?"

She's naked, the only thing covering her is a flimsy bedsheet. "It's the grown up version."

When our lips meet I decide I really like building forts.


	17. Tan Lines

This one is silly… ;-)

Tan Lines

Harm was sated. Happily, wonderfully, delightfully, completely sated and from the soft sound of contentment from the woman who was half sprawled across him, she was too.

He let his hand move under the sheet which covered them, fingertips moving slowly over her spine. Mac had the softest skin, he found. Softer than most of the women he'd been with. He delighted in touching her, roaming and caressing over each swell and curve. Irianian heritage gave her such a unique colouring that bronzed in the heat of the Australian sun.

Oh, Australia, they became lovers then, precisely five weeks ago when a ferry ride made him realize he was crazy about her and Mac felt the same about him. They made love that night and spent the remainder of their time inseparable deciding to keep the romance a secret for now.

He grinned smugly at Mic's expression when Mac turned him down for dinner. Seemed his exploits on Manly Beach netted him a big fat zero in the Mac department no matter how topless he had her. Or not, she'd swore the ties of her bikini top were merely secured behind her back and he had no reason not to believe Mac.

She shifted against him, snuggled closer with a long, happy sigh. The movement made the sheet slip down to her hip and when Harm grabbed the edge in order to cover her, he noticed something...off.

"Tan lines." He raised his head and stared at her skin. Back, shoulders, breasts...down there..and not one damned tan line. All of the women he'd been with had some sort of tan line however faint. Mac had none...less than none. Her skin was almost flawless save for a few scars and, of course, her tattoo. "Mac?"

"Mmm?" She answered sleepily.

"Why don't you have tan lines?" In a way he didn't want an answer, concerned that she'd lied to him about being topless in front of Mic.

Mac's head came off his chest, a hazy, confused gaze found him staring down at her. She shook her head and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "I what?"

"Don't have tan lines...not a one." He proved his point by lowering the seat down off of her. "You said you weren't topless at the beach."

He was practically pouting if not slightly mortified and his expression almost made her laugh. Mac grinned and sat up, pulling the sheet to cover her nakedness. A good natured ribbing was in order. "Not that beach no...but…there is a secluded beach in Virginia..When the weather is nice, I go there, sun bathe in the nude."

Harm's eyes widened in shock and his jaw had gone slack. Clearly he was running scenarios in his mind all of which included a naked version of her as evident by the tenting of the sheet across his lap. "Uh. You uh...sunbathe...naked?"

Mac sighed and laid back down, cuddling next to him. "Yep… I hate tan lines…" She moved her hand to his chest, her fingers playing with the soft, springy hair.

"Sooo… this beach...how secluded is it?"

She glanced up to find him staring with an expectant expression if not a mischievous one. It made her roll her eyes and chuckle. Men. "Alright..I'll fess up. There is no secluded beach. There is however something called a spray tan."

"Spray tan?"

She chuckled again, watching his ideas of making love to her on the beach fly away. "You get into a machine, it sprays me down...levels out my skin, keeps it soft too."

"Oh…So, You hate tan lines?" She nodded and Harm groaned. "I have tan lines, Mac."

He did and her hand dropped to trace over said tan line just above his hips. "You do...I like _your_ tan lines."


	18. Sarah

**Sarah**

"Mmmm." I typically don't like to cuddle. I know, I know, most women love that but, often enough it's a suffocating form of possession. HOWEVER...with Harm... it's...

..Lovely... Wanted... Needed. Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it - I _need_ him.

"I love you, Sarah." He says against my ear, Harm's breath careses my skin as he does and I feel my body go stiff. He hadn't said the words, not once despite a few months of dating. I knew he loved me, could feel it in my bones that he did and I trust him, so much. I just never expected to hear the words, not from him... and I was fine with it... or so I thought.

_Sarah_. I could count with one hand the times he's called me that, more often that not it was to introduce me to someone but usually began with my rank and ended with my last name. Those times didn't count. But, whenever he's said my name it made me shiver. And now... no, I wasn't prepared for it and I think I needed to be. Before I could stop them, tears sting my eyes and fall down my cheeks to the pillow beneath my head. They fall unchecked and I must have involunarilty whimpered because I feel him shift behind me. "You never call me that."

"No I don't." He says and in the darkness of the room, I still feel his eyes on me. "You've always been Mac to me."

"Then why say it now?"

He sighs. "Because I wanted the words to mean something more...you know..._more."_

For two lawyers we really are ridiculously terrible at speaking to on another. "You can call me Mac and still mean it."

"Okay." His voice takes a deep tone and I could feel his body grow heavier as he drifts to sleep. "I love you, Mac."

"You really love me?"

Harm pulls me closer. "With all my heart."

God, more tears. I'm practically sobbing as Harm is more alter and turning me so that my face is against his chest. His hands caress up and down my back and I blush when I realize I hadn't told him the words. So I remedy that: "I love you too, Harm...With all my heart."


	19. Pizza

I have a feeling this is the sort of thing Harm and Mac would do and it's adorably sexy.

**Pizza**

"Like this, babe." Am I still supposed to swoon when he calls me that in a voice that oozes seduction? Okay, so it's not his bedroom voice, that one is far more huskier but, this one equally makes my heart race.

He stands behind me and hands covered in flour run down my arm from elbow to wrist and my skin tingles. "Push and pull." My hands are resting on the counter and he begins to manipulate the fluffy dough which will eventually become pizza. Each forceful movement is carried out expertly, graceful and with each knead his breath flutters against my neck. I close my eyes and just _feel_ all of him.

His forearms brush against mine, the hard planes of Harm's muscular chest press into my back. Strength. He's always been such a solid wall of strength, my anchor and God do I love him. "You know…" He says his mouth dropping to press a kiss against my neck. That bedroom timbre is there now and I feel his lips curve into a smile. "...keeping your eyes open may help."

"Maybe if you weren't so close to me?" I tease and then he steps away and leans against coolly against the opposite counter with his arms crossed. "Thank you."

I take a breath and try to ignore just how sexy he looks - black sleeveless shirt stretching across that broad chest, splashes of flour sprinkled over it which disappear under a blue apron. From the corner of my eye I see him turn and take a moment to appreciate his six covered by faded dark blue jeans. Pizza making isn't supposed to be sensual is it?

He's working on the sauce, checking the temperature, adding this or that with that fine precision he's known for. When he dips a spoon in the mixture and licks it off my hand slips off the dough, hits a bottle of coarse salt and sends it flying off the counter and shattering to a zillion pieces on the ground.

Harm turns to face me, his eyes alight with amusement while I flush in embarrassment. "Oops." I say causally and that silly flyboy grin of his goes up in wattage like he knows it was his fault.

This catches the attention of Mrs. Bianco, the late 70ish year old Scicilian woman that Bud, Harriet, Sturgis, Varese, Harm and me (along with a few other couples) had gone to as a fun 'couples' night of wine (sparkling water for me) and pizza making. I just never thought that making pizza with my flyboy would be this umm...hot? And I am not talking about the blazing ovens behind us.

"Are you alright, Mac?" The older woman asks and for a brief moment I wonder if I'm about to be scolded. I brace for impact and she just walks over to us grinning. Upon glancing at our former co-workers (they came to visit toCalifornia to celebrate our fifth anniversary) they are all grinning like idiots as well. Christ, am I that transparent?

"Oh, I'm fine… dough got away from me." I glare at my dear husband who's trying to stifle his laughter which only makes it come out as a snort. "Keep it up, flyboy...you'll spend the night in the dog house." Errr.. cat house, we don't have a dog, we have a cat.

His answer is to pull me into his arms amongst all the other couples watching and to kiss me only to let me go when Mrs. Bianco clobbers him over the head with a wooden spoon. "Mr. Rabb, maybe if you let Mac alone she could finish kneading her dough."

His sheepish grin widens. "I apologize, ma'am. I can't keep away from my wife's feminine wiles." Harm's plastered that flyboy grin, raised it up to full wattage which has Mrs. Bianco blushing furiously as well if not a little flustered. I want to smack it off of him sometimes but, it has gotten us into some rather nice restaurants and reservations, so there's that.

Oh hell, I am not immune to it either and just roll my eyes in order to annoy him because I know his brand of punishment for my defiance is a particularly stunning performance between the sheets. Yeah, that hasn't died down either, not sure it ever will.

"Oh, it's alright dear, it's lovely to see you so much in love." Mrs. Bianco is beaming at us like a proud mother and just as quickly her smile turns into an icy glare like that of our most feared DI in boot. "Now finish your dough, that pizza isn't gonna make itself. And stop the amorous looks and flirting, you two are not in high school anymore."

Our friends are laughing, I can hear them and Harm gets another whack over the head for good measure. "Stop antagonizing your wife, mister! Get back to work."

"Yes, ma'am." Harm says and dutifully returns to stirring his sauce. I feel his gaze on me once again and don't have to turn around to realize he's grinning. "Ouch! Sorry!" He yelps when he gets whacked over the head again with that wooden spoon.


	20. Jeep

**Yep, H&M are into fluffy, sexy, silly today... I like it. ;)**

**Jeep**

"Harm, can you stop ogling my six and grab me the tire brush?" I'm snapped out of a daydream that has me a little more hot and bothered than I should be. She grins at me, clearly not bothered by the fact that I have, indeed been ogling her but, really Mac is too adorable not to look… and fantasize and… "Harm!" She yells at me and tosses a wet sponge at my head.

"Hey!" I yell in protest and hand her the abnormally huge brush that she uses to begin scrubbing the car tires. "And I wasn't ogling your six."

"Uh huh." She's ignoring me, running the bristils over every last crevice of the rims that has mud practically glued on.

"I was ogling your legs." Which is the truth. Her legs and the way they go on for days disappearing beneath those short swim shorts and onto her six.. Okay, fine, I was ogling that too. After years of hiding my feelings, it's nice to flirt openly with my wife for a change and not hide behind the regs that kept us apart for so long. Regs and stupidity, both of ours.

Mac straightens and hits me with a glare that could melt the polar ice caps. "Yeah, well stop ogling those too and help a little?" She motions either to the hose or the sponge or a towel or the other plethora of items we've purchased in order to keep our new Jeep clean.

Yes, we are Jeep owners now, a spur of the moment thing when someone in my command went on and on about Jeep adventures, mudding and other activities that adrenaline junkies like myself - and my wife - found appealing. We kept our Corvettes - Rosy, my 69 Stingray - wasn't going anywhere given the time and care it took to rebuild her - twice. And Cherry Pie - yes, her Corvette is named Cherry Pie - Mac enjoyed hers way too much to part with it.

So we added an additional vehicle for weekend adventures and camping trips - this being our first adventure in mudding which consisted in burying the Jeep in as much grime and muck as possible often forcing other Jeep aficionados to pull you out.

Mac loved it. I smile at the memory from a few hours prior - her behind the wheel, tongue sticking out of her mouth in concentration as she drove the vehicle over rocks, ditches, dips and finally a mud pool that we got stuck in. Her laughter was infectious, a sing song sound that made my heart swell and I swear to God, I loved her more then. I was holding on for dear life and then did the 'manly' thing helping with chains and hooks in order to pull the Jeep out of the muck.

She looked so happy, so pleased with herself and it was then that the astronomical price we paid for a new car - and tons of other add ons, bells and whistles - was worthwhile; just to see Sarah's smile.

"Harm!" I get another sponge flung at me, this one is coated in some grey goo and when it hits my chest, some of that muck slides off in it a soapy, messy rivulet that makes me cringe. "Snap to, sailor!"

"Two can play that game, Marine." Quickly, I reach for the hose, change the setting and douse the woman that I love with the cool water which sprays from the head. She yelps, groans, grunts and I hose her down again before she has a chance to tackle me to the grass. We roll around together in a tangle of arms and legs until we wind up with her on top of me.

She's all wet and I brush away the hair which clings to her face and tuck it behind her ear just to have it fall down again. It frames her face delightfully and makes Mac look much more adorable than she did before. "You look good wet, Marine." I say and pull her down to capture her lips with my own. It's a muddy, soap, watery kiss but, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the World. As an answer, I get another spongeful of soapy water wrung over my head and then Mac is off running around the Jeep in a squeal. "You're in for it, Marine!" I yell and run after my wife…. Yeah, life is good.


	21. Fun

**Fun**

Mac flopped onto her back and draped an arm over her eyes. She was breathing heavy and a fine sheen of sweat covered her body. "Wow...that was..._fun_."

Harm lay just next to her equally as exhausted, the post coital aftershocks made his ab muscles ripple and it took herculean effort to simply turn his head and look at her. "_Fun_?"

She sighed happily. "Oh, yes."

"Mac. That was the single most satisfying sexual experience of my life...my _whole_ life and you call it _fun_?" He snorted, mildly disgusted that it was the only adjective she would use to describe their love making. Marriage had proved that things between them did indeed get better.

Mac chuckled and turned to her side propping her head up with her hand. He was so sexy and that boyish pout made Harm look so adorable. "Okay...it was...mind blowing, exquisite, wonderful, sensual..._magical_." He'd drawn out the most intense climax from her, made her beg for him and the culmination had been so explosive. "And yes Harm it was _fun_. Sooo much fun."

Her other hand ran over his damp chest, tracing lazy circles which made him shiver. Mac replaced her hand by pressing open mouthed kisses on his skin and lapping at one bead of sweat. It made him change his mind. "Yeah, I guess you _could_ call it...uh_...fun_."

Harm pulled her so that Mac lay completely on top of him. He wouldn't be ready for her quite so soon but, at the very least he could kiss her, cuddle and his fingers could…. She moaned and then smacked his hand away. "For once...I need a break too."

He grinned, that pleased him. "Wore you out, huh? Guess I'm not such a prude after all...the blindfolds were a nice touch, weren't they?" And his idea to add a little kink to their love life. He told her not to peak and moved so slow that by the time Harm reached any of Mac's erogenous zones, she went off like a Roman candle. Okay, yes, it was fun.

Harm turned so that they lay side by side and that's when he saw them. The pink birds on blue bicycles which made up Mac's favorite bedsheets. "Uh, Mac?"

"What's wrong?"

"The flamingos...I think they're judging me."

Some of the birds did appear to be looking at him, head cramped studiously to the side and one leg raised. It was a bit disconcerting and Mac could only laugh. "Nah, they are just jealous."

To prove his point, Harm grabbed one of the pillows and held it up to show her. "Mac, look at them…"

She raised a brow and continued to laugh. One thing marriage taught her was that Harm was silly. He'd always been funny, charming but, his silly side warmed her heart. She pulled the pillow away and dropped a hand to his hip. "Harm, you gonna play with the flamingos or me?"

His eyes darkened immediately from the seductive timbre of her voice. "I thought you needed a break?"

Mac grabbed the blindfold from the edge of the bed and dangled them from her fingers. "I reboot pretty fast and this way those little ol flamingos won't bother you one bit."

He seemed a little excited at the prospect. "Sounds like fun."


	22. Moisturizer

Based on actual events. ;-)

Short and silly.

**Moisturizer**

"Harm? Did you drown in there?" Mac stood outside the bathroom door a little more concerned than her voice belied. Her husband normally showered with efficiency, the Navy had drilled that into him.

In fact the only times when his shower ran ridiculously long were when she joined in. Cleanliness gave way to amourous activity until the water ran cold and they would move things to the bedroom. Today was not one of those days.

"Hey? Harm?" She knocked on the door and heard him groan and curse on the other side.

"I'm fine...Give me a second!" His voice didn't sound fine. It was a little angry and a lot irritated. When a slew of expletives echoed from the room, Mac pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Through the glass she could faintly see the silhouette of him under the stream scrubbing vigorously at his skin. He cursed again and finally, Harm peaked his head out. His skin was red, more than it would be given he practically showered with cold water unlike Mac who set the temperature so high her skin was rosy when she stepped out.

"I ran out of my body wash." He said by way of explanation but the look on his face was that of pure agony. "I used yours."

"Okaaaay. Which one?" She liked having different body washes with different smells and different usages. Effoliants, moisturizers all to keep her skin healthy.

Harm's face contorted even more and he was now sporting a pained and disgusted expression. "The green one." He let out a long suffering sigh. "It has...things in it, Mac."

She snorted. "Moisturizing beads?"

"Is that what they are?" He cringed and then ducked back into the shower. "My skin feels like it's covered in oil and I can't scrape the damned thing off!"

Mac couldn't stop herself from laughing, the sound coming out in choked bursts. "Oh, Harm." She pried open the shower door, reached inside and shut off the water much to his chagrin.


	23. Kiss It Better

I was on my bike trainer tonight gutting out a 50 min ride and got this silly idea. Yes, training for a Triathlon, even a short one is a pain in the ass. Ugh... that being said, can COVID go away so I can do another? ;-)

**Kiss It Better**

Harm was in pain.

Every single inch of his body from his head to his toenails ached something awful. His quads were angry, calves even angrier. His feet had blisters and he was chafed in areas no man should ever be.

He was now a triathlete.

What began as a dare in McMurphy's against Sturgis became a one year training cycle from hell. Swim. Bike. Run. Rinse and repeat over and over. He was exhausted between work and the rigorous training schedule.

Despite his strength and tenacity, there had been low points in the middle of it all when he wanted to quit. It was after a particularly long assignment wreaked havoc on the training and his body responded by forcing him to stop.

He was injured. Nothing major but the constant ache in his achilles made every step unbearable and he almost threw in the towel. Almost until the woman now laying by his side had intervened.

Harm was sure he didn't need a coach. Military discipline helped him create a plan and stick to it. However, coming back from an injury proved almost insurmountable.

Mac appeared in his apartment one Saturday morning at the ass crack of dawn wrapped in running tights and nothing else other than a sports bra._ 'What? One boo boo and the big bad Navy man is gonna quit? You had fifteen miles on your calendar, Commander. MOVE IT.'_

It wasn't so much her words but the outfit that had him dressed and heading off after her. Harm chased Mac through the city, into Rock Creek Park and out again. He'd hung back a time or two admiring her sweet six when she ran in front.

Mac became his coach, the greatest of motivators. She made sure he kept true to his schedule, was eating properly, sleeping properly. She listened to him whine about the aches and pains, and was the first to throw down a hundred dollar bill into the office pool, betting on him to finish the first out of the small group of officers registered.

One night he'd missed a stop and nearly careened into an suv. He lost the grip on the bike, fell off and was considering limping home until he thought about calling her.

Mac came to his rescue of course, took him to her apartment to nurse his wounds. He got cleaned up in her shower and came out wearing a blue robe of hers while his clothes were being washed and dried.

She slathered ointment on his scrapes and scratches; iced the bump on his hip._ 'You gonna kiss and make them better, Mac?'_

Christ, he hadn't intended to sound so seductive but then neither of them ever followed through with the innuendos amway. Until then.

_'Is that a request?'_ She'd grinned at him in a cat that ate the canary kinda way and again, the expected one of them to cease with the teasing. This time it just wouldn't be him.

'_What if I say yes?'_

Mac began kissing the scars on his hands, his knuckles trailing up the long scratch up his forearm. She kissed his knee, raised the tip of the robe up to kiss the road rash on his thigh.

He caught his breath and held it each time her lips moved somewhere else. Harm was sure that any sound from his part would make her stop and he didn't want that. She'd kissed his hip over the fabric of the robe and then scooted forward to kiss his face.

_'You have a few cuts here.'_ She pointed out, gently caressing his jawline with her fingers and then replacing them with her lips. Eventually her mouth found his and she placed a few, barely there kisses on the corners of his mouth.

'I think my lips are hurt a little as well.'

'_Mmm…'_ She'd moved closer to him, her body practically covering his as Mac pretended to examine his injuries._ 'Yeah, you need some kisses there too.'_ And that was all it took, the spark which set ablaze and into an uncontrollable inferno.

Mac kissed him gently at first as if testing how his lips felt on hers. And then he was lost in her. Soft kisses became ardent, urgent and desperate. He clung to her out of fear that any breath would end this moment.

It was Mac who took the lead, equally exhausted by their dance and just as eager to consume that thing between them. She led him to her bedroom, pushed him onto her mattress and just like that all of Harm's aches and pains were forgotten.

Dreams and fantasies just didn't come close to the real thing for being inside Mac, feeling her squeeze and knead him was all of the Heaven he could ever ask for.

Harm sighed happily as he stood outside on the balcony of their hotel suite. He was still wearing his racing kit, a triathlete medal hanging from his neck. "I'm proud of you." Mac said, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

He was stinky and sweaty but she still kissed the center of his back, still holding him tight. "I'm happy but, I'm in so much pain."

"I'll kiss and make it better." Mac took his hand and lead him to the shower where he pointed out each painful area. She did kiss it better.


	24. This Is War

**This Is War**

Mac hunkered down behind a large cement tube whose sides had been covered in graffiti. She held a rifle up to her chest, took a deep breath and then made a run for a closed shipping container equally covered in spray paint.

No one had taken a shot, much to her chagrin and so she crawled on her knees, peeking out to spot the enemy. That was when a round whizzed by her head slamming into the concrete wall behind her. "Not smart, MacKenzie." She chastised, knowing she'd exposed too much of her body.

Shaking her head, Mac stood and flattened herself against the container. She saw movement from her peripheral vision and turned quickly to take two shots, nailing her victim. What she needed was some sort of distraction to shift her attacker's interests elsewhere but, any method would expose her location more than she already had. Grinning, she reached for a rock at her feet, it was large enough to hurl across the field.

Once she did, Mac heard the shots fired wherever the rock had landed, giving her just enough time to make a run through the muddy terrain. Shots began firing her way again and she slid to a stop behind a wooden wall feeling the splatter of paintball shells just over her head. "Sorry, Captain, your aim _still_ isn't that good."

"Well, Colonel, come on out and I'll show you how _good_ my aim can be." Harm knew exactly where she was, he could see the edge of her foot sticking out from behind the wooden shield she was leaning against.

A little paintball game had been her idea as another form of a fun date night. It was fun, challenging and had them both experiencing the exhilaration of battle. Their first game pitted the couple against a group of teenagers which were all eviscerated in less than ten minutes. Using signs and signals, the pair 'killed' off one after another of the kids one of whom was surprised the 'old lady' was that good of a shot. Using the paintball markers took a little bit of time; they just weren't as accurate as a real gun but, Mac had quickly adapted to it after a course monitor showed her how to double tap the trigger using her index and middle fingers.

Harm just jammed on the trigger, lacking the finesse but being just as accurate as his sexy wife. And she did look sexy dressed in camouflage jeans that hugged her hips just how he liked. She had on a BDU top and the rest of the necessary gear for such a sport but, even all covered up, he could still spot her. Well, her six which he aimed at and tried to shoot missing more than once. "Are you aiming at my six, squid?" He heard her yell, the sound a bit muffled from the mask that covered her face.

That move made Mac double her efforts to beat him. She came down in a crawl, sliding her body along the mud keeping low to the various barriers that blocked her from view. He'd spotted her, of course, the paintball playing field did not afford that very many spots to hide and the camo was noticeable against the graffiti covered concrete and wood. Glancing up, she spotted her goal: the flag at the tippy top of a wooden fort which she needed to grab in order to win this battle. They were almost the only ones left, Harm had a group of eight that dwindled down to three and she was just another warrior. Waving her hand, she got the attention of the teenaged boy she'd been left with, the smallest kid in the group but the most gifted in stealth. "Hey, Josh...see that barrier?" She pointed at an inflatable bunker just in front of a ramp which led to the fort. "I'm headed there, cover me on three, okay?"

The kid nodded, came down to one knee and aimed towards the general direction of Harm and his team. "Three, two, one… go!" Mac headed off in a sprint, unloading some rounds while Josh did the same from his hiding spot hitting one kid in Harm's team. She raced up the ramp, ducking behind the tower as several shots hit the wooden beams and splattered paint onto her mask. "Ugh!" It inhibited her ability to see well and she sank down making herself as small as possible to use the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the excess paint.

She hadn't noticed Harm was sneaking in on her, rounding the tower from the rear side trying to keep his large frame from becoming a target for Josh or Mac. It was almost too easy to take his shot and part of him felt a sense of remorse but, that girly squeal when his pellet hit her six more than made up for it. "Gotcha, Marine." From the opposite side of the field a roar erupted as Josh had rushed past the couple, climbed the tower and rescued the flag waving it back and forth victoriously.

"You _were_ aiming for my six." Mac said after she removed her mask and dropped the marker. She scooted over to him, legs dangling off the wooden frame only to have him step between her thighs and move his hands down to squeeze her six. She took his mask off noticing Harm's sweat covered brow, flushed face and wicked grin. "And you enjoyed it too."

Harm's hands slipped into the back pockets of her jeans, kneading her six through the fabric. "Such a sweet six it is too."

"Sweet and bruised, I'll bet."

That made his eyebrow arched teasingly and the hands in her pockets kneaded her again. "I promise to kiss and make it better." He moved closer to her, bridging whatever gap was left until his lips touched hers. It was just short of passionate but enough that Mac could feel that pulling sensation down below. "Best two out of three?" His voice dropped down to that bedroom timbre that made her realize he wasn't talking about paintball but, she wouldn't let the Marines fall to a squid.

Mac pushed at his chest, grabbed her marker and headed off to the center of the field. "You're on."

Harm could only shake his head. Oh how he loved his wife.


	25. She Shot Me

Silly silly silly silly. But, I do like this couply stories because they are just amusing to write. Maybe I'll have them go to therapy for shits and giggles. I'd be a hoot.

**She Shot Me.**

Mac was staring at his six.

Unabashed. Out in public. Shamelessly and without remorse, Mac was staring at his ass.

And Harm had a lovely one when it came to men. Not too big and not too small. It was rounded and strong from hours of deadlifts, running and whatever other activity kept it so sexy.

Perfect to dig her nails into in the heat of passion or bite. Oh yeah and she'd bitten his six a time or two much to his delight and surprise. It was just too lovely not to.

She especially loved it in jeans because when they were out of uniform Mac could casually slide her hand into the back pocket and touch him. She also loved it in summer whites because when he bent over it was a little more visible than usual.

And she was still staring at it.

Mac let out an unladylike snort. Or was it a giggle? A chuckle? Maybe a chortle? Whatever it was the sound caught the attention of the other three people in the small exam room. One being the man who owned that sexy six. Another the doctor who was sewing it and the third, the nurse assisting.

"It's _not_ funny!" Harm protested, his head snapping so that he could glare at her.

The doctor was having a hard time keeping a straight face as well. "Tell me again how you shot your husband?"

"Well…It was _his_ fault." They'd gone shooting to an outdoor range which offered a tactical course for those taking classes. Not that either of them didn't know what to do in that situation, it was more of those fun couple activities they routinely engaged in to keep the spice alive.

"It was _not_ my fault!" Harm said, grumbling under his breath as the doctor continued attending to the wound. "_She_ shot _me!_"

"Not on purpose!" That six of his was far too cute for her to willingly damage. "It was a ricochet." Mac pointed out. As they had weaved through the brick buildings that made up the makeshift city she and Harm were beating the other two person teams. Racking up point after point as they cleared out each building and shot at the 'enemy.' There were only three teams left and they were poised to win it all.

They were using simulation bullets for safety but masks and Kevlar were required as they hurt just as bad as the real thing. "I went in first, found that everything was clear and then motioned for Harm to join."

When he did, the pair carefully walked through the building searching for the enemy. "And then I tripped." She lied. Oh yes, she lied because the truth was a little embarrassing. They were military officers, duty, honor and decorum had been drilled into the both of them.

But he looked so sexy and they were having so much fun that Mac stopped her forward progress and turned to kiss him. Her cheeks burned red from the embarrassment as she recalled her finger sliding off the metal and onto the trigger. The shot surprised her as much as it did him.

She was taught not to do that, it was ingrained how to properly handle a weapon and yet her thinking went out the window when he kissed her back. It was one hell of a kiss, far too intense for the heat of their simulated battle but it happened. More than anything, she lost sight of her surroundings. "Mmmm. As nice as that was, we need to keep moving." He kissed her again, this time lingering a bit longer before moving forward. Damn it made her want to drop their little game, head back home and have her way with him.

"He walked in front of me to take the lead and it was...God, I'm embarrassed to say it was friendly fire." She hadn't noticed the thick pipe connected to the wall although it was painted bright red and had several yellow ribbons attached to it. No, she was too busy staring at his six and how it looked in those faded blue jeans when he stepped forward and crouched.

Which was why she tripped, the edge of her boot catching the lower corner of the pipe sending her teetering to the ground. Her finger clipped the trigger just enough so that a round went off, ricocheted off the pipe and into Harm. Well, it wasn't the round itself but a fragment that had inexplicably embedded itself into his six. A freak accident but, an accident nonetheless that had them heading to the emergency room. "It ricocheted off the ground and slammed into his six."

"His what?" The nurse asked, staring at Mac with both horror and amusement.

"_Six._ It's military speak for your backside. He's Navy, I'm in the Marines. Which makes it very embarrassing seeing as both of us know damned well how to hold a firearm. It was an accident."

Harm snorted at her little story, a sorry excuse if he ever heard one. The woman was a certified weapons specialist, one that often bested even the most seasoned Recon Marine when it came to precision and skill. One with that kind of reflex just didn't go around tripping and 'accidentally' hitting the rigger. "Yeah, right. An accident my ass. You shot me!"

"Oh jeez. I did not mean to shoot you." Mac rolled her eyes and sighed. She was going to have to endure a whiny flyboy for a few days, for sure although she welcomed the challenge. "Besides, you shot me first, did you forget?"

"Oh." Harm felt the wind die out of his sails and while she had shot him on accident, his had been intentional although the healing portion of taking care of Mac's bruised six had been quite explosive if he recalled. It had been so damned good, Mac nearly begged for a repeat performance the following night.

"My dear, sweet husband failed to mention a little paintball incident where _my_ six was involved." While not shrapnel or a bullet wound, it had hurt like hell. "He shot _me_ on purpose."

Harm nodded, "Yep, this is true." His sheepish grin didn't win him any points with the medical team who was staring between the couple as if they'd both lost their minds.

The doctor stopped for a moment and pointedly glared between Harm and Mac. Any amusement had faded completely and he wondered if this was some sort of sick sex game that had gone a little too far. "Is this normal behavior?"

Mac shrugged. "It's a recent development in our relationship. We're military lawyers and used to verbally spar in the courtroom."

Her comment did not appease the doctor not one bit and the man finished off with Harm with a little more force than needed. "Have you two sough counselling?"

Counselling? Them? Oddly enough they both laughed that the absurdity of that comment and both commented with the same line. "They'd quit." Which only made them laugh even harder much to the chagrin of the doctor who was under the impression that this was an odd case of domestic abuse.

"This is no laughing matter. Mr. Rabb could have been seriously injured. Had that ricochet moved a few inches south we'd be having a whole different conversation." He sighed heavily, taking off his gloves and tossing them into a large pail with a red bag inside of it used for medical waste. "I'm recommending you both seek counselling."

"Counselling?" Harm and Mac said at the same time which was how they wound up in couple's therapy two nights a week for four weeks.


	26. Tired and Beautiful

**Tired and Beautiful**

Harm let out a deep breath as the piping hot water fell over him. He was tired. _Exhausted_ was actually a better description of the bone weary lethargy he felt. To begin, he hadn't slept well. Sophie, their kitten had kept them up most of the night wanting to 'play' and when her parents wouldn't she went ahead and began knocking things to the ground.

Unfortunately, he needed a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep to function well unlike Mac who looked fresh and ready with just a couple of hours. He grumbled to himself and turned to face the water. God, he needed sleep and a break from the chaotic schedule that had kept him from seeing his wife as much as he was accustomed.

There'd been no time for coffee breaks or lunch or even dinner. As of late, they'd been like ships passing in the night only sharing a bed just to sleep and he wasn too burnt out tonight to change that.

"Mind if I hop in with you?" He smiled when he heard her voice from outside the shower and then the door popped open.

Showering together usually turned into other activities that often made the water run cold. That only meant they would take said activity into the bedroom where they would warm each other up in the most wondrous ways. He sighed and turned, opening one eye to find Mac looking just as exhausted as he felt.

"I know showering usually leads to other things but I really have a headache, feel like shit and didn't want to wait for you to finish." She practically shoved him out of the way and stopped right under the stream, sighing happily as the hot water caressed her body.

Despite his exhaustion, Harm eyes casually took in every inch of her body. The strength of a Marine. The softness of a woman rolled into a package that was easy on the eyes. His eyes caressed every swell, every curve from her cute painted toes to her long, shapely legs, up her flat stomach, to her breasts resting on her ribcage.

She had a sexy neckline that he loved to kiss and nibble. Talking about kissing, her lips were sinfully sweet and addictive. He never loved kissing a woman as much as he did Mac. And then there were her eyes that were looking back at them. It took his breath away.

He grabbed the soap using his hands to create a lather which he ran over his body not missing a spot. Mac's eyes followed his hands which rubbed the bar briskly across his chest, the lather mixing with the coarse chest hair. He brought up one arm, running the bar over each rippling muscle then giving the same treatment to the other.

Then his hand traveled south and more suds covered his body over his abs and the little trail of hair that led down to a part of his anatomy she may have fantasized about more times than she could count. It was at that particular moment when he was lathering his 'little sailor' that Harm caught her looking.

Hell, it was more than just a look. Mac was flat out ogling her sexy husband and it made her cheeks burn furiously red in embarrassment. "Is that a blush, Marine?"

"Afraid so." She admitted and then reached around him to grab her body wash and poof.

That made a chuckle rumble in his chest. "It's not like we haven't seen each other naked."

While he was correct most of the time they were too desperately reaching for another to actually stop and look. The times he'd stared at her unrestrictedly was usually during times of passion when each spot he gazed at would then be covered by his mouth, his hands or his tongue.

Now she was just looking and knew he had been as well without touching. "We have but most of the time we're pressed up against each other not just looking without restriction."

She bit her lower lip when he stepped under the hot stream of water and the suds began to wash away rolling down his body like a lover's caress. His skin glistened, droplets clinging here and there eventually dripping off. Mac could only stare at him lovingly because he was perfect.

A combination of running and weight lifting gave him an incredible physique with just the right amount of lean muscle. Broad shoulders, hard pecs and wide back. And damn if he didn't have strong arms that she loved being enveloped in. "You're so beautiful."

Now it was his turn to blush because her admission had never been uttered in reference to him. "Beautiful? Me?"

"Yeah, you are and I can't believe I made you blush."

He shrugged and stepped away from the stream. "I've heard handsome, rugged, sexy but never, ever, _ever_ beautiful." His hands had reached out for her now, arms wrapping around her waist as Harm pulled her body close enough to barely touch.

Mac glanced up at him, the exhaustion in her face lifting like a veil. "You _are_ handsome and rugged and so very sexy. You're also beautiful and you know the best part about it all?" The most dazzling smile curved at her lips which inched closer to his as she came up to her toes. "You're all mine."

If either of them were tired it didn't reflect in the kiss or the gentle activities that came afterwards when they fell into bed and slept in eachothers arms.


	27. Seven

Absolutely silly Harm and Mac fluff because I also use seven much as Mac does. ;-)

**Seven**

Harm stared at Mac's turned down bed in both awe and bewilderment. This would be the first time he slept over - well, not quite. He had slept in her bed before but that usually came after they'd exhausted each other from other activities.

Tonight though they were just sleeping sleeping. Normal sleeping. The kind of sleeping a couple did when they cohabitated and he was actually a little apprehensive about it.

It was Mac who suggested they move in together. Since they began dating six months prior, neither of them were in their respective abodes without the other. Half of her things were in his place and more than half of his had taken up residence in hers. It was only natural and one hell of a big step when Harm declared it was time to get rid of his loft. It was more of a bachelor pad and lacked the warmth or space of Mac's apartment.

So there he was standing at the end of the bed looking down at her (actually it was now their) bed while Mac finished showering. His hands came to his hips, eyebrows hit his hairline. "Seven?"

Actually it was more like nine but, he refused to count the other two since they were his. He tried to imagine why she would need so many although figuring women out was often a detriment. They were like cute little aliens and he had yet to discover what made them tick. Mac, specifically, was beyond interesting.

She had the softness of a woman but could think and fight like a man. Part of him always imagined her digging into a foxhole and calling it cozy. The other part imagined red silk sheets against her beautifully exotic skin.

He was still standing at the end of the bed, this time with his head tilted when Mac came out of the bathroom. "It's all yours if...Harm?"

She came to stand right next to him and followed his line of sight that stopped right on the bed. Concerned, Mac moved closer to him expecting something to suddenly jump out of the sheets like a spider. "What is it?"

"Seven. You have seven pillows and I can't even begin to figure out why you would need so many." He waved a hand over to his side of the bed and the two that were neatly stacked on top of one another. "I only need two." And, if he was honest, that number could drop to one as the second had always been a substitute to hold when she wasn't around.

"Well. Let me see." Mac went around to her end and began to arrange the pillows much as she did on the nights which she slept alone. "I put these two here." She took the fluffiest two and placed them against the headboard. It had been one of those things she did as a kid that never really went away in adulthood.

One pillow went at the edge of the bed and another opposite. The two final ones went in the center below the fluffy ones against the headboard. It made something of a cocoon and when Mac crawled into bed she lay on her side, the seventh pillow cradled between her arms. "It's cozy. Of course half of them are on the ground when I wake up but it's just really cozy." She shrugged grinning up at the exasperated look on his face.

Harm slipped into his side and began tossing two of the pillows, including rh3 one she was curled up with, to the ground. "Hey!" Mac protested until he slid up against her so that he could hold her in his arms.

"I think you can lose a few of those." He surmised as she settled against him, sighing happily.

"I think you're right."


	28. Halloween

**Halloween**

Harm walked in to find Mac in his apartment, his heart swelling imperceptibly from the domesticity they'd fallen into almost immediately. She had a key and he had hers. The exchange occurred a good six years earlier upon her askance when, upon traipsing around the Appalacians, running away from poachers had Mac losing her keys.

He had to break into her apartment when they returned from Blacksburg and once Mac returned to work she'd presented him the key. A day later, he gave her his - just in case - and never questioned why it was so easy to do. She was his partner, he surmised but then Kate never had a key to his place and Meg most certainly didn't either.

Mac did. Mac...Sarah, as he often called her now when they engaged in more intimate conversation...Sarah had his key, kept it despite being engaged to another.

"Hey." Her eyes lit up when she noticed him and Harm chuckled at the fact that for the first time he could have snuck up on a Marine. She was far too absorbed in something that was strewn over his sofa - costumes to be exact for a Halloween party she was dragging him to.

Mac walked up and pressed a hand to the side of his face, a gentle touch to guide him down so that they could kiss. As always what intended to be a sweet hello turned fiery, electric and it was a hand on his chest and a rumble of a chuckle from the back of her throat that pushed him away.

Their chemistry had always been undeniable but Mac didn't realize just how hot that ember could burn until the night after the Jag-A-Thon. Starting at the beginning she figured his asking her to dinner would be to catch up, chat and ignore...Yes, ignite because they did that too well.

She never expected him to kiss her but Harm did. He kissed her for all he was worth and that electric current sparked like a livewire. She felt it, he did too although the electric pulse running between them was mostly due to Harm's cell phone short circuiting while they kissed outside her apartment in the pouring rain.

It was funny, cute and made them jump apart but not for long. She asked him up, the intensity in her eyes conveying that it wasn't just a cup of coffee and small talk Mac was after.

Starting at the beginning never felt so damned good or right and it turned Harm's world upside down. He relished every moment that came after, the unabashed flirting, the hiding their relationship from others which was kind of exciting. The way he'd caught her looking at him at work. Touching her hand in the breakroom. Flowers from a 'secret admirer' that got her called into the Admiral's office.

He was smitten. Wonderfully, happily, insatiably smitten. And in love. More in love than he thought possible. And so he'd agreeded on the Halloween party despite disliking the Holiday. He agreed because it would be the first time they would be out amongst friends as a couple.

The Admiral knew but it would be a surprise to everyone else and Mac had tasked herself with costumes that came as a set.

"Romeo and Juliet. What? They're a couple." He suggested a few days ago only to have Mac glare at him with a horrified expression.

"It's a tragedy. They both die."

"Oh." He saw her point, then suggested Superman and Supergirl which was met with even more resistance.

"They're cousins." She cringed and he followed suit, finally letring Mac to her own devices when tossed Mickey and Minnie into the mix.

She slipped out of his embrace and turned to the costumes studying them as if they were artwork. Quickly, she grabbed an item off the coffee table and glanced at it, mumbling something or other about it being 'too small.'

"What is?"

"Your codpiece."

"My what?"

"Codpiece. You know it's worn over your umm…" She motioned with her index finger to his crotch and for some reason that had him glancing down. "Little sailor…"

"Little sailor?" He tried not to be offended by the comment. "He's not little."

She agreed. "No argument here but…let me see." Mac grabbed the codpiece and moved to his crotch only to have Harm jump away with a yelp. "Oh c'mon, this is part of your costume. It goes with the tights."

"Tights? What tights?"

Exasperated, Mac threw her hands up in the air. "You're Robin Hood and I'm Maid Marion Remember we decided that last night after we...after. You said yes."

Harm scrubbed a hand across his face and took another step back when Mac made to measure his ummm…'Little Sailor' again. He had said yes but then he was exhausted, half asleep and curled up against the warmth of her body. "Stop that!" He swatted her hand away and took the offending object in his hand.

The thing looked like an oversized cup he'd worn while playing organized sports. Those were damned uncomfortable enough so that he often went without praying his jewels wouldn't take a hit. He placed rh3 codleice over his slacks above his 'Little Sailor' and shook his head. It was definitely too small and jutted out awkwardly "Do I have to wear it?"

"Afraid so, flyboy. It comes with the tights."

* * *

Harm felt like an idiot as he stood in the middle of her living room four nights later, waiting for Mac to finish dressing. He had dressed up as Robin hood complete with tights, vest, feathered hat and another codpiece that actually fit. The costume was slightly annoying with tights that rubbed up the wrong place, a vest was a bit warm and the boots would likely give him blisters. Yes he hated Halloween and these stupid get ups. Harm had purposely left the silly bow and arrow in his car cor fear of looking like a complete fool.

He hated it all until Mac stepped out of the room.

A ridiculously expensive wig adorned the top of her head with hair fall in dark tendrils over her shoulders. A crown of flowers held it in place, blue and grey ribbons flowing down the back to the tips of her hair. The dress, also blue with grey accents hugged all of the right places of her svelte figure, the bodice pressing her ample breasts and raising them.

Long sleeves with more ribbons in a crias- cross pattern covered her arms and he found himself no longer breathing. She was beautiful, always had been but this was so different, the romance of medieval times. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and slipped her arm through the crook of his.

"I think I'm starting to love Halloween." Harm said as he led her out of the apartment.


End file.
